El Raco de Can Fabes

[thelastsupper]

From the Lumière website:

» We would like to announce a very special event to be held at Lumière on February 7th, 2003.

Chef Robert Feenie is proud to host Chef Santi Santamaria of El Raco de Can Fabes Relais Gourmand just outside of Barcelona. El raco is a pilgrimage for anyone passionate about dining and has received numerous international awards.

Joining Rob and Santi will be the talented Pino Posteraro of Ciopinno's restaurant in Yaletown.

The menu for this event has not been set, the details will be posted when the chefs have decided their courses.

Tickets may be purchased at Lumière, or by phone at 604-739-8185, cost $250.00 cdn. This price includes wine but not taxes or gratuity.

[Paul Bell]

Visited El Raco Con Fabes for lunch as part of our trip to Barcelona last week, another excellent and hugely enjoyable experience. The restaurant seems to add up to more than the sum of its parts, in that no one dish really stood out (possibly the main courses) but everything was really good and we had a really good time. (Should I stop using really good?). On first impressions this is not an innovative restaurant it serves dishes from the local area that have been crafted over time. It is a three star experience like Gordon Ramsay or Lucas Carton where everything moves smoothly and progresses rather than somewhere more flashy like the Jardin des Sens.

We started with a plate of about 10 different mini appetisers each, these were a mixture of seafood (smoked salmon on a stick) and vegetables (a mini caramelised onion tart). These were followed by two amuses one an oyster in a cream sauce and the second sea urchin in a frothy seafood type sauce. (Apologies for some duff description the staff’s English wasn’t great and my Spanish is far worse).

We then had Cephalapodos - a cassolet (ragout?) of members of the cephalopod family with olive oil and green beans, quite simple but very tasty, and Salmon, which consisted of a piece of cooked salmon and a bowl containing salmon eggs, cheese sauce and a poached egg, which tasted really good (the small amount that I got).

For main courses we had roast turbot with a red wine sauce, roast black pig with spices (cumin) and the children both had roast goat with sage. All of these were really good (Santi Santamaria likes roasting) The turbot was a huge piece (very thick, 2 ‘fillets’ either side of the bone rather than the more normal one) quite unctuous with a very reduced slightly sweet red wine sauce and leeks, it was excellent. The goat was also really good, a step up from the version at Ca L’isidre, even more tender with a greater intensity of flavour, the pig was also very good with a quite full cumin flavour.

Desserts were a biscuit millefeuille, blinis with ginger cream, and roast pineapple. The millefeuille was very well done, made out of the lightest shortbread biscuits layered with lemon cream, very light, very good. Can’t comment upon the other two as I did not get any, which I guess says something.

Finished off with large quantities of very good petits fours.

Just as we were leaving the restaurant Santi Santamaria hurtled out of his kitchen to check whether we had enjoyed the food and whether the children had enjoyed themselves. This was a nice touch as we were out of the door and it was very much him checking we had a good time rather than a chef parading himself around the dining room.

Definitely to be recommended (I am not at all certain that I have managed to convey the satisfaction and enjoyment of going there). As well as the food, the restaurant itself is a really nice place to sit, its an old stone building with lots of alcoves, big wooden furniture, old fashioned in a good way. Service as you would expect is excellent as is the wine list, very large range not too badly priced.

[Bux]

We just had dinner at Santceloni, Santi Santamaria's one star resturant in Madrid. It was a very good meal, but we didn't think it compared to Can Fabes. Michelin has the stars right in these cases as far as we can see. I should add that it was a few years ago that we were at Can Fabes and it's not fair to make those kinds of comparisons -- it's not as if one can make real rankings after one meal anyway. After two meals in Madrid however, I think the multistar action is in Catalonia and not in Madrid.

[Wilfrid]

Thanks for those notes, Paul. Although E Bulli sounds interesting, this is the place I'd really like to visit.

[acbelan]

I'm a new member delighted to find so much great information. My question may fall under that category of "If you have to ask, you shouldn't be considering it," but here goes:

How much will lunch or dinner (excluding wine) run my husband and me at Con Fabe? We're visiting Barcelona in December. We've never had a 3 star experience, and I'm interested in giving it a try. I'm willing to blow some money on it, but would like to have some idea of what I'm in for.

Thanks for any guidance, as well as alternative suggestions within an easy train ride of Barcelona, Seville, and Granada.

[The Viking]

Hello from another newbie out of Norway..

Been to El Raco De Can Fabes four times in total, last time was about a year ago.

The tasting menu will run you about 85-105 euro + 7% tax, depending on season and special dishes..

The big variable here will be the amount spent on wine, whilst not on the ceheap end, this restaurant does offer some extraordinary value for money, especially amongst lesser known regions of Spain and mid-range red and white burgundies.. Count on about 50 euro a bottle and you'll definetely be on the safe side.

Tipping in Spain is NOT like the US where a waiter will snarl at you if you leave < 15%, at this level anywhere up to 5% is much appreciated.

IMHO: I'd definetely go for lunch, not dinner..

[acbelan]

Thank you for the information, The Viking. You must think its well worth it if you've been there four times. Any hints about how far out to make reservations and how much time to allow for the full lunch experience? I'd hate to miss out or be rushed!

[The Viking]

Making reservations ahead depends on whether you're going for lunch or dinner, allow 2-3 weeks notice for dinner in high season, for lunch one week will usually suffice, especially if there are no more than four in your party.

The restaurant opens at 1.30pm promptly for lunch, as far as I remember it's at 830pm for dinner. Allow 2,5-3 hours for lunch, maybe 3-4 hours for dinner, depending on youre menu choices and what tempo you prefer. Remember: I'll take you a good 45 minutes to get back to Barcelona center..

[Bux]

The current Michelin shows a price of 120 euros for, what I assume is, the tasting menu. An a la carte menu should run less than 100 euros, but I'd suggest the tasting menu as it requires no decision and ensures you'll have a well composed menu. Assuming you have no food issues, this is a wonderful place to put yourself in the hands of the chef. Just over three years ago, the two of us spent about $250 for the tasting menu with a bottle and a half of inexpensive wine, two coffees and bottled water. Prices are steadily rising and the dollar is not very strong these days. Nevertheless, I suspect this is a good value meal. You won't do as well in France for comparable food.

[paulbrussel]

You may have a look at their website: http://www.canfabes.com - it is a bit outdated, but nevertheless, it gives quite a lot inof about the restaurant and prices.

(Since I will go to the restaurant in 5 weeks, I can update about the prices.)

[acbelan]

I'm looking forward to your report, Paul. I wonder if they'll be serving an Autumn menu at that time. I tried the web site yesterday but kept getting Page Not Found. I assumed it was a bad link. It worked for me today, though. Thanks for pointing me back there.

[estufarian]

Don't forget to add the cost of bread and water! Con Fabes is horrendously expensive for both. Allow 10 € PER PERSON. And his tasting menus often have 'supplementary charges' for premium dishes (typically 30 or 40 € per dish). His basic tasting menu is currently around 110€.

[Bux]

Bread charges or cover charges seem achronistic to Americans and even to those who have traveled in France in recent decades. Look at the price of the whole meal and compare it to what you might pay in another country or elsewhere in Spain. The tasting menu price includes the bread charge in most restaurants.

[vserna]

You can check it out on the Can Fabes web site. The latest tasting menu they include is 118 euros plus 7% VAT. Dirt cheap for a Michelin three-star restaurant, if you ask me. Compare with the others in Europe...

[Tonyfinch]

Dirt cheap for a Michelin three-star restaurant, if you ask me. Compare with the others in Europe...

The seven course tasting menu at Gordon Ramsey at Royal Hospital Rd in London is £80, including VAT. Cheaper if not dirtier

Edited August 26, 2003 by Tonyfinch (log)

[estufarian]

The tasting menu price includes the bread charge in most restaurants.

But not at con Fabes.

It's 6€ per person and water is 2.5€for a small bottle. +IVA. And the tasting menu is pretty ordinary unless you go for premium dishes.

A La Carte is 40+ € for mains.

[vserna]

The seven course tasting menu at Gordon Ramsey at Royal Hospital Rd in London is £80, including VAT. Cheaper if not dirtier 

So it's 116 euros at Gordon Ramsay for a seven-course dinner; it's 126 euros (118 + 8 VAT) at Can Fabes for an eight-course (plus petits fours) tasting menu which I would not, personally, call "ordinary" as estufarian does. So they're both very cheap by three-star standards, right? By the way: wines are so much more expensive at GR than at CF that they will unfailingly make the final tab much higher...

[Bux]

I suppose it's all subjective, but when we ate there we thought it was far from an ordinary experience. Either one doesn't prize this sort of food at all, or I'd like to know where I can eat that would make Can Fabes look ordinary by comparison.

[Tonyfinch]

By the way: wines are so much more expensive at GR than at CF that they will unfailingly make the final tab much higher...

Well there we do agree.Wine prices in restaurants in Spain are still half what they are generally in the UK. I don't know about this particular restaurant but at the Michelin one stars in Asturias coming from London all the prices seemed like bargains. In fact the price of all booze in Spain is cheap compared to the UK

A friend of a friend who runs a restaurant in St Marti near Villafranca in Penedes and is also an avid wine collector told us when we were there two years ago that if he tried to charge anything like the wine prices that are charged in British restaurants not only would no-one order the wines, they would actively boycott his restaurant.

[estufarian]

Can Fabes for an eight-course (plus petits fours) tasting menu which I would not, personally, call "ordinary" as estufarian does.

Mea Culpa - scribble in haste, repent at leisure.

My intent (even I recognise that my post didn't communicate it - I was catching up on nearly a month away) was to point out that the Can Fabes tasting menu contains several 'optional upgrades'. Typically these cost 30 to 40€. Two people dining together could not get different dishes without upgrading on at least 1 course (2 the night I was there). Also the tasting menu was 5 courses (not 8) for 110€ when I was there (August 8 2003). I upgraded (for 30€) so that we could try an extra course. The other choice required an 80€ additional - but that was for two, so we still wouldn't have had different tastes if I'd chosen that. Without an upgrade, we could only have sampled 7 dishes for our 220€ combined tasting menu. We actually had 8 for 250€. Plus 12€ for pa i mantega and 7€ for water plus taxes etc. This makes it expensive FOR SPAIN. My contrast was intended to be with the "ordinary" tasting menu, not "ordinary" food.

As to quality - this, of course, has no correlation (necessarily) with price. This was as perfect a Mediterranean meal as I've ever had - in terms of purity of flavours and technique. However, I did find it somewhat 'correct' rather than 'inspiring'. I found myself complimenting the ingredients, rather than the cooking. Yes, it was an excellent meal. But on a furure trip I'd probably spend my money on more local restaurants. My excellent lunch the following day, in a local restaurant (3 courses, including wine and a cheese plate with 9 spanish cheeses - La Brasa in Riudarenes, between Sant Celoni and Girona), cost little more than the bread and water at Can Fabes. And Can Fabes cost more for us (per person) than El Bulli (or any other restaurant on our trip) - I was trying to point out that the bottom line costs here are somewhat higher than most people will anticipate.

(edited for spelling and to add the name of the restaurant I lunched at)

Edited August 27, 2003 by estufarian (log)

[Bux]

There's no question in my mind that those coming from a background of dining at starred restaurants in France and those who've done most of their dining in Spain will have very different perspectives on what's expensive. I also think it's fair to say Santamaria is not pushing the envelope in the way some cutting edge chefs in Catalunya are. That's a plus and a minus and each of us will have a different balance. However much I may rave about any restaurant or chef, I know the restaurant may not have the same appeal to every single diner and I welcome any information I've not included that will help guide the right diners to the right restaurants.

[paulbrussel]

Lunch at Can Fabes (September 2003)

Interior: mixture of classic and modern.

Menu: tasting menu 118 € (without 7 % VAT)

Wine: excellent wine list; in fact there are five for different parts: champagnes, white wines, red wines, port and sherry, digestive. Many Spanish, but also excellent ones from France – the latter always to be the great cru's. Not many old wines though.

With the glass of cava came a tablet with 2 times 6 amuses-gueules, all very nice.

Chosen wine (after the good glass of cava): a white rioja: El Dorado de Murietta 1998, of the same house as those of Marqués de Murietta Ygay. I found it a very nice wine with many different tastes, full bodied, not too easy but rather complex and with a nice after taste.

First course: Veal Carpaccio with fresh anchovys / Cordero y anchoas frescas.

'Sauce' with much oil, then the anchovy, then the veal, all in a mixture of oil and bouillon. More classic impression, quite a taste of fat. Next to it came as a side dish caviar of egg plant with some spring onion. Simple but good.

Second course: Fennel Cream with crab / Crema de hinojo con buey de mar.

A small tartar of crab meat. The cream was put in the plate separately. Impressive dish, almost perfect.

Third dish: "Pasta a la plancha" with red pepper and basil / Pasta a la plancha con pimiento y albahaca.

A sort of pancake of pasta with pesto and the great and famous romesco sauce. Some basil and finished with rasped Parmesan cheese. Excellent balance between everything again.

Fourth course: Lobster with tomatoes and oninos "sofrito" / Cangrejos de río con sofrito de cebolla y tomate.

A small but excellent cooked lobster from the river, with tomatoes and different sorts of salad with a vinaigrette. All went well together: sweet taste of the lobster, sweet of the tomatoes and the sour taste of the vinaigrette mixed beautifully, and also different bites.

Fifth course: "Cocotte" of scampi with "bouillabaise" juice / "Cocotte" de langoustinos al jugo de bollabessa.

A bouillon with different legumes (carrot, zucchini, etc.) Then: red mullet fillet and the king prawns. The bouillon was extremely hot (in the beginning), but amazingly the cuisson of the prawns and mullet, as well of the legumes was excellent (although seconds do not make that much of a difference for the latter).

Main dish: Sweet bread with mashed potatoes / Ris de veau con puré de patatas.

Just good sweet bread with the potatoes puree. Quite heavy since the sweet bread was caramelised. Good but not creative at all.

I took a glass of red wine with it. [This caused the only real complaint. I asked the sommelier first whether I should not better take half a bottle from the wine list. He suggested some by the glass; the first was to simple, but I could change to another one – opened the day before and it had the acid of a too old wine. The third was then OK.]

Bit strange perhaps, but I asked for a second main course that was suggested at the beginning: wild pigeon. And since I do like that very much, I really wanted to have it. It came with goose liver and it was a great dish.

After the Fabes cheeses board / Quesos Fabes came desserts, coffee and petits fours.

I thought it was an excellent meal! Classic, more French oriented. But all so well prepared and excellent products. Not old fashioned at all, there were modern influences as well. [My rating: 19/20.]

[Bux]

A quibble, cordero is lamb, not veal. Otherwise very interesting and a pleasure. Not cutting edge, but not quite classic in the staid sense was my take. The cutting edge stuff is more interesting to talk about, but every now and then I get a flash that tells me guys like Santamaria may be around for the long run.

[paulbrussel]

A quibble, cordero is lamb, not veal. Otherwise very interesting and a pleasure. Not cutting edge, but not quite classic in the staid sense was my take. The cutting edge stuff is more interesting to talk about, but every now and then I get a flash that tells me guys like Santamaria may be around for the long run.

(They said lamb, the menu gave veal, I didn't recall.)

If I do give the impression that this is classic, that's not what I meant at all - sorry: that must be my bad English or lack of expressing myself in that language... It is classic oriented, but I did compare him with Alain Dutournier, also one that is not classic at all.

Anyway: I am definitely going back next time, and it was the best meal I had during those days in BCN (mainly because of the perfection, I suppose), although I am much more into innovative cuisine and I was very much impressed by the young chefs of hisop and Alkimia - the latter are more exciting cuisines, but I can't say I was not 'excited' about Santamaria.

And you are quite right: it is much easier to talk about surprising, new, innovative cuisine...

[tony h]

Here's my recollection which differs markedly from Paul's - I seem to have gotten some of the "meats" wrong. Ah well.

Can Fabes - 2003

I came to eastern Spain from Toulouse on the off chance that El Biulli might have a cancellation – no such luck. Can Fabes was my pre-arranged fallback. I did however take the opportunity to stop off in Cadaquez to see Dali’s house which is open to the public & if you are ever in the area – don’t miss. There was something quite magical bout standing in the old fart’s studio. Additionally – the penis shaped swimming pool really has to be seen.

Pre starters

Cold cod with yoghurt - great

Something that looked like a large black olive but turned out to be a prune – also good

Potato shaped into a small cup filled with truffle cream & truffle disk on top – v good

Quail egg yolk – didn’t try

Little pastry cup with dice of anchovy & other ingredient (notes not v clear) – packed a punch

Course 1

2 dishes - Aubergine caviar with anchovy fillets

Beef carpaccio with anchovy fillets

The roast beef was very flavoursome & aubergine was scented with cumin

A good dish, albeit of the small side. Basically – v good tapas

2 – confit neck filet of pork

A cube of neck fillet on a bed of seriously good mashed potatoes. Caviar on top.

Lemmony buerre blanc foam

A very good dish – creaminess balanced by the citrus & soft meting pork

The caviar wasn’t really necessary – just a decadent garnish

Also – a bit on the small side.

3 – couldn’t figure it out

A disk of potato-come-pasta scone with red pepper puree & basil oil

Served with the finest silkiest grated parmesan which collapsed sensually on the tounge.

Deep fried basil leaves

Homely & satisfying

4- crayfish & tomato & onion salsa reduction

served with a herb salad which more like a mini-bouquet

a great marriage of fish & salsa however the salsa didn’t taste nearly as good on its own. Had to be eaten together to bring the dish to life.

5 – red fish with foamy sauce

I didn’t catch the name of the fish but sounded like salamonica or salma hyeck

very little flavour to this dish - no depth to the stock – first bum note

6 – foie gras

I didn’t fancy sweetbread tonight and the other dishes on the tasting menu were for 2

They server off menu – foie gras with figs

A very piece of perfectly seared foie gras decorated beautifully with halved figs & peaches.

No oil slick for the foie gras & it had the creamiest lightest texture.

A drizzle of very thick balsamic.

7 – cheese

I usually don’t go for this but by now I was still a little hungry.

They brought over the biggest cheese board I’ve every seen – I asked for 3 soft cheeses. I have no idea whit they served but they were stunning (or was because I knew they weren’t from the La Fromagerie, Highbury?).

Afters

A plate with 3 dimples arrived with different sorbets: pear (weak), pineapple (interesting) and peach (stunning)

Petit fours arrived – nougat & raspberry; chocolate disk; chantilly cup; jelly; truffle; macaroon

Also – strips of citron & chocolate

long tuile tubes in 5 flavours

Dessert

Base of lemon half way between a cheesecake & a soufflé with the lightest coco flavoured cream

Black fruit sauce and orange tuile elaborately plated on top

Shot glass with liquid crème caramel

Post meal notes

This started well – great pre-starters and first course or two. Superb finish the rest had very little real substance – the tasteless fish course should had have been a point if focus failed to hit the mark & the potato-like scone was good but missable. A fine if not great meal with the abundance of petit fours over compensating for substance elsewhere.

Details

Can Fabes

Sant Joan 6

E-08470 Sant Celoni

Spain

Tel. (34) 93 867 28 51

Fax (34) 93 867 38 61

Edited September 25, 2003 by blind lemon higgins (log)